CELLULOSE 213 



lose ; the composition of this substance varies according to 

 the conditions under which oxidation is effected.* The fact 

 that many oxidizing agents act in an acid medium makes it 

 impossible to effect oxidation without a certain amount of 

 hydrolysis, and for this reason the term oxycellulose must be 

 taken not to signify a definite chemical individual but an 

 indefinite mixture of oxidized cellulose, hydrocellulose, and 

 unaltered cellulose. 



Birtwell, CHbbens, and Ridge f claim that, from a technical 

 point of view, two distinct types of oxycellulose must be 

 recognized ; those having great affinity for methylene blue 

 and a low reducing power, and those having a high reducing 

 power, or so-called copper number, and a marked solubility 

 in alkali. 



Properties of Oxycellulose. 



The outstanding characteristics of oxycellulose are the 

 possession of (i) aldehydic properties which are shown by 

 the ability to react with Schiff's reagent, the production of 

 a yellow colour on warming with alkali, and the power 

 of reducing Fehling's solution ; (2) acidic properties ; (3) 

 greater reactivity as shown by its being more easily acety- 

 lated, nitrated, etc., than cellulose; (4) greater affinity for 

 methylene blue ; (5) the ability to give off furfural when 

 distilled with hydrochloric acid ; this may be explained 

 according to Schorger J by assuming the formation of glu- 

 curonic acid (which is known to give furfural with hydro- 

 chloric acid) by the following scheme : — • 



A B CD 



CH.,OH CHO COOH COOH 



I ' I II 

 CH CH CH CHOH 



I O I O I H,0 I 



CH -> CH -> C -> CHOH 



I I 11 



(CHOH)2 (CHOH)2 {CHOH)2 (CHOH)^ 



L- L - 



— — CH — — CH CH— — CHO 



F F F Glucuronic 



acid 



* Hibbert and Parsons : " J. Soc. Chem. Ind.," 1925. 44, 473 T. 

 t Birtwell, Clibbens, and Ridge : " J. Text. Inst.," 1925, 16, 137. 

 J Schorger : " The Chemistry of Cellulose and Wood," London, 1926, 

 p. 289. 



